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Stone Dead
'Stone Dead '''is a story written by MatoranIrik. It is his entry to the 2014 Summer Writing Contest. Story Toa Arum grunted as he pulled himself up from the rugged cliff face and onto the plateau above it. His Drill Lance, the Toa of Earth's trusty tool, remained in its usual place, holstered on his back. He never had much use for it anymore; Arum spent much more of his time exploring, rather than brawling. He kept it with him as a memento, a memory of his old life. Arum observed the landscape below him, the green trees swaying in the wind, perfectly accenting the azure sky above him, the birds flying, the Brakas ascending the treetops to get a pick at the most scrumptious fruits and berries, the ancient ruins of what had probably been a shrine before it was abandoned and overgrown by the vines and weeds and tendrils of the forest, and he felt at peace with it all. This was where he wanted to be – not fighting in holy wars for the glory of Mata Nui, not sailing the sea, looking for adventure, but in a place like this, where he could truly experience the beauty of nature. It was about then that Arum heard the shriek of a Gukko Bird, a common sound in this type of area. This Gukko, however, seemed to be flying towards him. Gukko flying toward him, in Arum's notably humble opinion, were generally bad news, as they either would try to peck at and attack him, disturbing his peace, or bring him messages from faraway lands asking for help, also disturbing his peace. Presently the Gukko landed gracefully beside Arum, and looked up at him with the look of a stray Kavinika begging for food. The Toa of Earth noted a stone tablet, tied onto the Rahi's back. “The message is for me, isn't it?” he sighed. The Gukko let out a harsh screech, as if to say yes. “All right. Let's see what this is,” Arum mumbled. He untied the rope fastening the stone tablet to the bird. The message read: ''Toa Arum Please return to Runas Nui at once. We have need of your assistance. Runas Nui Police Department A crease formed across the brow of Arum's Kanohi Hekrah. He thought back to his days as a police detective in Runas Nui. He had practically been the toast of the city back then. But things had changed. He was a Toa now. It had been about eight years since he left for better things with the rest of his Toa Team, and about five years since the surviving four members went their separate ways. To this day, he missed them all. Most of all, Arum missed Caelnor, a Toa of Stone, and his best friend among the team. He had been somewhat arrogant, but tolerably so, stubborn more than anything, and was always putting others before him. Arum remembered the fun times they had had sparring with each other. Caelnor was without compare when it came to swordplay, so Arum would almost always lose, but they had a laugh about it anyway. But things had changed. Arum hadn't seen Caelnor since the incident at the Southern Continent five years ago. Arum realized his mind was wandering, lost on the familiarity of the good memories. No, he reminded himself, things have changed. Back to the mission, he thought. Why not? They need me there. Arum turned the tablet over and picked up a blunt stick from the ground. On the back of the tablet, he carved just five words: I am on my way. He tied the tablet onto the Gukko's back again. With another screech, the bird took flight, in the direction of Runas Nui. “I'd better get going, too,” Arum said to himself, as he started his descent from the plateau. ~ Another murder, Geon thought. It was a Po-Matoran, this time. Identification tags revealed the Matoran of Stone's name to be Shalns. He had been a skilled carver, with a promising future ahead of him, until this happened. The Matoran had been shot, right through his head. Blood pooled around his shattered Kanohi Calix. Worse yet, this was the third murder in as many days. All the same, Geon and the rest of the police department were no closer to finding this mystery killer. Whoever killed them, Geon thought, was excellent at covering their tracks. No evidence was left behind, not even a single broken twig or pebble. As of right now, the police were waiting for a transport to arrive and take Shalns' body off to the morgue. It was the hot, dry season, so many miners (Runas Nui's primary occupation) had been allowed to take a vacation by Turaga Epherin. As such, there were more Matoran trying to nose around in the crime scene, more Matoran that needed to be pushed away by the police. “Geon?” Another police officer asked the Fa-Matoran, “Toa Arum is here.” “Well, bring him to me!” Geon exclaimed. The Toa of Earth strolled towards Geon and the corpse. “Sorry I'm late,” Arum said, “What did I miss?” Geon frowned. “This, for one,” he said, pointing at the body. “Ah,” the Toa muttered, “That's... something.” “Indeed, it is,” the Fa-Matoran sighed. “Mind if I inspect it?” “Go ahead.” Arum knelt beside the corpse and tried to get as much information as he could from the details he had. It didn't take long. He turned to Geon. “The killer isn't a Matoran,” he said. “What makes you say that?” “See this bullet hole?” Arum noted, “It's slanted. Whoever shot this guy would have to be significantly taller – say, the height of a Steltian. If the killer was a Matoran, the bullet would've been at about eye level, more or less. And there are no buildings in the area that could be used to make a shot this precise. “Of course,” Geon said, annoyed that he didn't think of it first. “And another thing.” Arum gingerly dipped his finger into the hole in the Po-Matoran's skull, and tasted a tiny portion of the blood inside. “I thought so. Whoever did this didn't use a conventional bullet.” Geon sighed. “Let me guess, normal bullets would've left a specific taste, which was absent here?” “Exactly. Tell forensics to have a look at his core processor and see what they can find. In the meantime... I'll need to have a look at the others.” ~ Less than an hour later, Arum was inside the morgue. The room had two tables, each of which held a lumpy bag. The bags were open, leaving a clear view of the Matoran inside each one. The first bag held a dead Fe-Matoran. His name was Stelko. In life, he had been a teacher. He had died in the exact same way as Shalns – a bullet through the cranium, shattering his mask. The red armor of the corpse in the second bag identified him as a Ta-Matoran – Croiph, his name was. His occupation was that of a maskmaker, the traditional Ta-Matoran job. “Hmm...” The Toa of Earth pondered, “None of them are miners.” “What in Karzahni does that have to do with anything?” Geon questioned. “I'm just saying that it's a bit odd. Miners make up a large amount of Rumas Nui's workforce. Isn't it likely that at least one of these guys would be a miner?” “It's probably just a fluke.” “Maybe. Maybe not.” Suddenly, a Ba-Matoran burst into the room. “Geon! Arum! We found something in Shalns' core processor!” “Well? What is it?” Geon said eagerly. “It's stone.” Arum thought for a moment. “But that could only mean...” His eyes widened as he came to a realization, his face taking on a sudden grim tone. “Geon! Get every officer you have on duty! I want them searching every corner of this city! We've got a rogue Toa of Stone on the loose!” “A rogue Toa?!” “That's what I said! I'm going to protect Turaga Epherin!” With that, Arum rushed out of the building and down the street. “Think he's right?” The Ba-Matoran asked. “He'd better be,” Geon replied. ~ By the time Arum had reached the town hall, he was exhausted and out of breath. But he had to keep going. One second was all that stood between him and failure. It was now almost the end of the day. The Twin Suns were leaving the horizon, and the sky was painted a rainbow of colors. Turaga Epherin was leaving the building to return to his humble cottage in the south side of Runas Nui. Arum was just able to catch up to him. “Turaga...” he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, “Turaga Epherin! I need to talk to you!” “Arum? W-what are you doing here? What is it?” “Do you know anything about the murders of the past few days?” The Turaga of Iron's eyes widened. “Well, y-yes, I know that they happened, but n-nothing else.” Liar. That was what Arum was thinking. Everything pointed to it. The way he swallowed and stuttered while speaking, how he was fidgeting, how his eyes were darting around. But most of all, it was his aura – he could tell this through his Kanohi Hekrah. The Turaga's aura was bright yellow. From Arum's years of experience with the mask, he could tell that yellow meant frantic. And why else would he suddenly become frantic? Presently, Arum heard a light chuckling nearby. But there was nobody around, save for himself and Epherin. Where could it be coming from? “Show yourself!” Arum shouted, pointing his Drill Lance towards where he had heard the laughter. Suddenly, the body of a Toa appeared from out of thin air. The Toa was thin, but at the same time, muscular and strong. His armor was a bright yellow, with occasional splashes of copper and silver. A malicious smirk was spread across his Kanohi Huna. But to Arum, nothing stood out more than one fact, which was more harrowing than anything else. It was Caelnor. “Caelnor?” Arum said meekly, not believing his own eyes. “Nighty-night, brother,” the Toa of Stone replied. He promptly hit Arum over the head with the hilt of his blade, and Arum fell to the ground. The Toa of Earth's vision swirled into darkness, and he collapsed. ~ Upon his return to consciousness, Arum noticed that he was in, judging by the stalactites, a cave. Eight green lightstones had been mounted on poles, giving the the chamber an eerie luminescence. Caelnor had always had a flair for the dramatic, Arum recalled. Surprisingly, the last thing that Arum noticed was that his arms had been tied to the back of the chair he had been seated upon. The rope was strong, so using brute force to escape was out of the question. His Drill Lance lay just out of reach, taunting him with their bright, green-tinted glow under the light. Without it, two possible escape plans were rendered defunct. “Well, well, well,” Caelnor said, stepping out of the inky shadows, “Are you happy to see me, brother?” The wicked smile formed across the Toa's Huna once again. “At the moment, happy isn't exactly the word I'd use,” Arum grumbled, “What are you doing here?” “Oh? I thought you'd know that by now. Haven't you figured out my plan yet? With your oh-so-amazing observational powers?” Of course he had. It wasn't exactly hard to piece together. But Arum decided to play dumb, hoping that Caelnor would just spout his whole plan, and he could pick up any useful details he had missed. More than anything, Arum wanted to know why – ''what sort of thing could've caused such a drastic change in him? “...No.” “Oh, really? Well, I'll be! At last, the great ''Detective Arum of Runas Nui has been stumped, and by my plan, no less! It just goes to show, I suppose. Oh, but don't feel too bad, I'll tell you about it anyway.” Arum's plan was working. “You see, the mines of Runas Nui are filled with valuable riches... riches that can be exploited. So I had a little talk with Turaga Epherin, said I'd kill the Matoran if he didn't pay me regularly. That old fool cares so much about his citizens, he didn't even think twice! “But now, it's the hot season. And he let the miners out of work. Oh, such a pity. With the mine closed, he just couldn't come up with the money. So I kept to my word, and killed one Matoran, every day, for the past three days. I made sure not to kill the miners, after all, I need them to work. “But why, Caelnor?” Arum asked, “Why are you doing this? Three innocent Matoran dead, and all so you could get a little cash? You're better than that. You were a hero, Caelnor. This isn't you.” “You're right, Arum,” Caelnor replied, “This isn't me. Not the me you knew. I've had my eyes opened to the cruelty of this world. Ever since our comrades fell in battle, defending that village on the Southern Continent from Skakdi, I have seen the truth. This world has gone mad, Arum. But I can fix it! With enough resources, and the right connections, I could save this universe! Eliminate strife! Usher in a new era of peace! If a few Matoran need to die to accomplish that, then so be it!” “You call a universe ruled by crime, by the way of the blood you spill, peace? Forgive me, Caelnor, but I beg to differ. I will stop you.” “Well, then,” Caelnor said, “Can't say I'm surprised. You know, I might have actually let you join me here. Oh, well. I'll make this quick.” The Toa of Stone took a sharp katana out of its sheath on his back and lowered it next to Arum's neck. “Goodbye, brother.” As Caelnor raised his blade and prepared to swing, Arum enacted his escape plan. While the ropes that bound him were strong, there was one thing that they couldn't stop, and that was elemental power. Arum used his powers to send shockwaves through the ground beneath him. They were weak, but it was all he needed. The poles holding the green lightstones began to shake, and they quickly fell, shattering on the ground. Without the lightstones, the cavern was immersed in total darkness. Startled by this, Caelnor hesitated mid-swing. And that gave Arum just enough time. With the extra moment his gambit had bought him, the Toa of Earth shifted the chair so that, instead of severing head from shoulders, the ropes binding Arum's arms were cut instead. And now, he was free. Faintly, Arum could see his Drill Lance next to him. He grabbed it and looked around. In his mind, he had begun to praise Mata Nui for his innate ability to see in the dark. He could faintly see Caelnor approaching, and he ran forward and delivered a low kick at the renegade Toa's foot. Caelnor snarled as he fell backwards, but quickly regained his balance and stood back up. He swung his razor-sharp blade at Arum, who quickly responded by blocking it with the edge of his lance. The renegade Toa of Stone took an opportunity to activate his powers and throw dirt into Arum's face, blinding him. Unable to see, Arum was forced to wildly stab at the air with his drill lance in a meager effort to defend himself. He heard Caelnor's soft footsteps to his right, and landed a kick to the Toa of Stone's chest, sending him flying backwards. Wiping away from his eyes what dirt he could, Arum was able to see the rage on Caelnor's Kanohi Huna as the rogue raised his hand towards him. He cursed as he jumped out of the way, just barely avoiding being caught in what seemed to be a storm of daggers. As Arum turned, he saw many sharp stones cracking against the rock wall, almost like a barrage of bullets. What do you know, he thought proudly to himself, I was right. Suddenly, Arum felt a rush of pain as he was knocked to the ground by a tackle from Caelnor. The Toa of Stone raised his sword like a hunter, finishing off a wounded beast with a knife. Arum swiftly brought up his lance, masterfully blocking the strike and kicking Caelnor away from him. He stood up, using his lance as a third leg, just as a Turaga might use their Badge of Office as a walking stick. “Just give up, Arum,” Caelnor stated, “You know I'm the better fighter.” As much as Arum hated to admit it, Caelnor was right. He wouldn't be able to survive much longer. No, but Arum had to keep going; for the Matoran who would continue to die, for poor Turaga Epherin, who cared about his citizens, and could not bear to see them die, and for the countless others who would suffer at his fallen brother's hands. No, he had to keep going... but how? In the second that followed, Arum thought of a way to bring his former brother to justice. It was a long shot, but it would work. He kneeled back on the ground, and raised his drill lance in the air, the blade pointing downwards. Realizing what was about to happen, the Toa of Stone exclaimed, “No!” and ran over to stop him. But it was too late. Arum stabbed his lance into the ground with all his might, releasing all his energy into this attack. A resounding roar followed as the cave began to collapse. “You fool, Arum!” Caelnor shouted, “Look what you've done!” “What I've done? Look what ''you've ''done! You should be ashamed, Caelnor.” And then, Arum ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, as the rocks and debris fell all around him. But fate was not kind to Arum on that day. As he galloped along, a massive boulder was dislodged from the ceiling by the earthquake. Arum looked up, just in time to see the impending impact, but far too late to do anything about it. The boulder fell on Arum, and he let out a scream as his body was crushed under its weight. The Toa of Earth flailed helplessly, but to no avail. Once again, Arum's vision gradually darkened, and he blacked out. ~ “''Arum? Oh, thank Mata Nui, he's waking up!” ''A distorted voice called out. A terribly bright, almost blinding light shone right above his eyes. Arum wondered if he was dead. As the blurriness of the view faded, the light seemed to be positioned at the center of an unfamiliar ceiling. And it was not, in fact, a light at all – in actuality, it was a lightstone. If this place is the afterlife, Arum thought, then I'm Makuta Teridax. “Arum! Are you feeling better?” the voice called out again. This time, it was not so distorted. He recognized it as the voice of Turaga Epherin. “Turaga...” Arum said, sitting up to try to get a better view of him. As he did, he felt a surge of sharp pain throughout his back, and fell back, his head landing back on the pillow. “Please, Arum,” the Turaga of Iron said, “Try not to move. Your back was terribly injured by that boulder.” “How.. how did you find me?” Epherin smiled. “Well, I surmised that Caelnor would be bringing you to the mines, as they are one of the few places where one could easily hide. Once he left, I changed my direction and went straight to the Police Department. I told them everything that had transpired, and they sent a search team down to find you. Geon wasn't very happy about the damage you caused to the mines, but then, he rarely is happy.” “About Caelnor,” Arum remembered, “did they find him?” “I'm afraid not,” the old Turaga sighed. “Which means he's probably still alive. Wonderful. Well, at least I didn't break the Toa Code.” “And speaking of Toa,” Epherin said, “There's a Toa of Water here who's very eager to see you, what was her name... Naho, that was it! Said something about Dark Hunters and the defense of Metru Nui.” “Well, send her in!” Arum smiled, and thought to himself, One important thing after another, with no time in between? Well, at least some things haven't changed... Characters in order of appearance *Toa Arum *Geon *Unnamed Matoran of Gravity *Turaga Epherin *Toa Caelnor Trivia *The Kanohi Hekrah, used by Toa Arum throughout this story, was originally created by User:Toa Hydros.